Coffee-display case



Nov. 18, 1924` H. R. BOWE COFFEE DISPLAY CASE Filed '086. l5. 1925 Patented Nev. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES HERBERT R. BOXVE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

COFFEE-DISPLAY CASE.

Application filed December 13, 1923. Serial No. 680,386.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it linown that l, HERBERT R. Bows, a citizen of the United States. residing at Minneapolis7 in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota7 have invented certain new and useful improvements in Coffee- Display Cases; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a'ppertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a display case adapted to hold loose or granular material, such as coffee, rice, etc. Such cases are frequently used to form a counter and have glass fronts so as to display the contents, the material being taken from the case by the salesman at the rear side thereof.

lt'is an object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient display case from which the material can readily be removed at-the rear thereof through a vertically moving door, the case being provided with means whereby a tight closure will be maintained by said door.

lt is another object of the invention to provide such a case having a .rear opening and a rear wall section having an outwardly inclined top edge with which edge a vertically movable door co-operates whereby the material dropped on the edge of said rear wall section will slide back into the case and a tight door closure will'be maintained. 1

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a display case, as above set'forth, having a rear wall section withy an outwardly beveled top edge and a sheet of material forming the bottom of the casing, which sheet is extended up and over the top edge of said rear wall section, whereby any material dropped on said edge will slide back into the case and a tight closure can be made by a vertically moving door co-operating with said sheet and rear wall section.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and in which,

Fig. l is a view in rear elevation of the case;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig'. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line SW3 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows.

ln the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the case is shown as formed of adjacent sections l and 2, two of said sections being shown, although it is obvious that as many sections as desired may be'provided. lVhile the case may be made of various forms, in the embodiment of'thefinven'tion illustrated, one section thereof,` is shownas comprising vertical'side walls 3 and a front wall which, preferably will be'of glassor other suitable transparentr material. Atop wall 5 is provided having allat top, the rear portion 5a of which is hinged to form a door by means of which the material may be placed inside of the case. The caseI is provided with a rear top wall 6 which also, preferably, will be of glass or other suitable transparent material, and a partition or shelf 7 extends from adjacent the lower edge of the rear top wall 6 forwardly and downwardly in the case and has its end terminating at some distance from the front wall el as well as from thev bottom wall 9. The front end of the shelf 7 is supported by spaced angle brackets 8 attached to t-he lower edge` of said shelf and to the bottom wall 9. lThe case is provided with a rear wall section l0 adjacent its bottomwhich projects some distance above theVbott'o'm wall or floor 9 and the top edge of said rear wall section l0 isy inclined or beveled outwardly. A. sheet of material ll, preferably of flexible material such as sheet metal, covers the floor 9 and is extended upwardly at the rear side of the cabinet over the beveled top edge of section 10 and has its outer end turned down and set into the exterior of said section. Guideways l2 are provided immediately outside of the rear top wall 6 and a vertically sliding door 13 is adapted to slide upwardly in said guideways and normally to be positioned with its lower inwardly beveled or inclined edge in contact with the sheet 11. The lower edge of said door 13 is beveled at the same angle as the top edge of the section 10 and thus at the same angle as the top surface of the sheet 11 and said door, preferably, is provided with a suitable lifting handle 14.

In operation, the material will be disposed in the chamber formed by the said walls of the case and will rest upon the shelf 7 and the front portion of sheet 11. A certain portion of the material will flow rearwardly under the shelf 7. lVhen the salesman desires to remove the material from the case he will raise the door 14 and insert a scoop or other .implement through said door` and l.scoop up the material on the sheet 11. lt

frequently happens that some material is dropped from the scoop or other implement and some of this material usually falls upon the top edge of the rear wall section. In structures of the prior art, such material would lodge on said edge and prevent the proper closing of the rear door. In the present construction, if the material falls on the rear top edge of the rear wall section 10, the said material will slide down the inclined surface of the sheet ll back into the case chamber so that when door 13 is allowed to descend its lower beveled edge will always maintain a tight contact and closure with the sheet l1 where the same passes over the upper beveled edge of the rear wall section 10. The upper edge of said rear wall section is t-hus automatically kept clear of material and no trouble is experienced in having the door 18 properly seated. A tight closure is thus always maintained in the rear of the case.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and elticient display case from which the material can easily and eii'iciently be removed and dispensed.. The device has been amply demonstrated in successful commercial use and found to be very ecient.

It will, of course, be understood7 that various changes may be made in the form, details and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the scope of applicants invention7 which, generally stated, consists l 1n the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

That is claimed is:

l. A display case for loose or granular material having in combination, a main chamber having a rear opening therein adjacent its bottom, means for directing the bulk of the material forwardly away from said opening, a vertically slidable door at the rear of said case adapted to close said opening and having an inwardly beveled lower edge, a rear wall section extending above the bottom of said chamber having an outwardly beveled upper edge anda member of smooth sheet material extending across the bottom of said chamber and inclined up and over said upper edge of said rear wall section, the lower edge of said door seating on said sheet whereby any ma-v terial dropped adjacent the lower part oft said opening, will slide back into the cham ber, a tight closure of said door against said sheet will be maintained and a rear bottom corner eliminated.

2. A display case for loose or granulainiaterial having in combination, a main chamber, a partition extending from the rear wall thereof downwardly toward the front wall having its lower end spaced from the front wall and the bottom of'said chamber, said chamber having a rear opening below said partition, a vertically slidable door at the rear of said chamber adapted to close said opening and having an inwardly beveled lower edge, and a bottom member for said chamber extendingv upwardly at the rear thereof having an outwardly inclined surface at its rear edge with which the lower edge of said' door co* operates whereby any material dropping onl said bottom member will slide back into the chamber, a tight closure will' be maintained by said door, and a rear bottom corner eliminated.

ture.

HERBERT R. BOVVE.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,516,481,1grantecl November- 18, 1924, to Herbert R. BoWe, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for an improvement in Coffee-Display Cases, an error appears in the printed specification requiring` correction as follows: Page 2, after line S7 insert the following as claim 3:

3. A display ease for loose or granular material hailing in eonbimzftion a main ehamber, a partition eoetendiny' from the rear wall thereof downwardly toward the front wall haoiny its lower end spaced from the front wall and the bottom 'of said chamber, said chamber lla/ving arear opening below said partition, a

slidable door at the rear of .Said chamber adapted to elose said opening and haoing an inwardly beveled lower edge, and a bottom member for said chamber eeetendin-g upwardly at the rean thereofc having an outwardly inclined surface at its rear edge with which the lower edge of said door cooperates whereby any material dropping on said bottom member will slide bach into the chamber, a tight olosure will be maintained by said door, and a rear bottom Corner eliminated.;

and that the said Letters Patent should be reacl With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this ll-th Clay of April, A. D. 1925.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Gommissioner of Patents. 

